The attack happened as the paramilitary forces were driving through a busy bazar, said Abdur Razzaq Cheema, the Quetta police chief. He said a manhunt is underway for the assailants.

The Sunni militant group's spokesman, Ali Bin Sufyan, said in a statement that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi will continue targeting security forces.

Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baluch separatist groups that demand a greater share of the province's resources. Islamic militant groups also operate there and often target security forces.

Pakistani authorities claim they have quelled the insurgency and broken the backbone of militants but violence has continued.